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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rule — government
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — high quality
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — in music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com